CLASSROOM TUESDAY

There are 7 Independent Contractor students in this week's orientation. Yesterday (Tuesday), we had a lot of information thrown at us. I took notes & gathered resource pamphlets. We signed a lot of paperwork also, including the lease to Schneider National. Frank carefully walked us through each page and signature line, instructing us not to get ahead of him. I appreciated how thoroughly he explained things.

   Around the noon hour, we walked over to a different classroom. Company driver students and independent contractor students sat through a presentation performed by the Charlotte safety manager. She was very emphatic about Schneider's safety stances, especially about the policy prohibiting cell phone use while driving. 

My classroom experience was over at 14:30. The rest of the students had to stay much longer. I am the only driver switching over from the company side. Since I was driving just last week, and have a good safety record, the faculty is not requiring me to endure tedious lessons or take a driving test.

   When my roommate finally came back to the motel room, he was very frustrated. From the moment we arrived at the OC until our group was dismissed, he wasn't allowed an opportunity to have a proper meal. He insisted upon spending 15 minutes to eat, for which he was chided by an instructor. My sympathies were with him; I pitched the idea that this aggravation might be intentional – as a way of testing a driver's composure under trying circumstances. We often have to muddle through challenging situations where most people would lose their professional composure. I wonder if they saw some red flags in his behavior or speech that prompted Schneider to choose to push his envelope. The staff isn't shy about letting people go.